How did Pavel Tretyakov bargain for 50 rubles? From the memoirs of Yakov Minchenkov
The artist and participant in the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions Yakov Danilovich Minchenkov (1871 – 1938) left the most interesting “Memories of the Itinerants,” published in 1940. Minchenkov studied at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Since 1905 he became an exhibitor and since 1913 a member of the Association of Traveling Art Exhibitions. From the 33rd 1905 until 1918, he exhibited his small paintings, mainly landscapes. Magazine The Status Symbol cites Minchenkov’s most interesting memories of Pavel Tretyakov.
In the chapter “Patrons of Art and Collectors” of the book “Memories of the Wanderers,” Yakov Minchenkov cited a case of how the collector Pavel Tretyakov bargained with Nikolai Dubovsky, who is known as the author of the paintings “Quiet,” “Motherland,” and “Rainbow.” It is not known what painting Tretyakov was bargaining for.
At the head of the Moscow collectors was the art patron Pavel Tretyakov, whose role and significance in the history of Russian painting is sufficiently clarified and known to society. We can say that in his time the Itinerant artists worked, and he paid for their work. Not a single painting that had value for that time remained in the hands of the artist, but ended up in the Tretyakov gallery. Tretyakov followed the work of artists and often purchased their things before the exhibition, at home.
Among the Itinerants, he was his own man. Repin recalled his visits: he would arrive, enter the room, take out a handkerchief, wipe his mustache and beard and kiss the owner. And then he will begin to carefully and, most importantly, seriously, with an attitude towards the painting as a great work, to examine what the artist has done.
He was not without a merchant's spirit - to bargain for things that seemed to him to be valued dearly. Bargained hard. Dubovskoy recounted the following incident: he put up a landscape for an exhibition and charged 600 rubles for it. Tretyakov gives 550 rubles. Dubovskoy replies that he will not concede anything, since he has set, in his opinion, the minimum price. Tretyakov convinces Dubovsky to give up 50 rubles in order for the painting to get into the gallery. Dubovskoy also convincingly says that he is very flattered to get into the gallery, but he cannot make concessions. Offended, Tretyakov leaves, and the next day he returns to the exhibition and again asks for a concession. Dubovskoy again does not agree, Tretyakov leaves with nothing. And this kind of bargaining goes on for four days.
On the fifth day, Tretyakov says to Dubovsky:
- Listen, what are you doing to me? After all, you are ruining me: I should have left for Paris three days ago, but because of you I am sitting in Moscow and suffering big losses.
And he brought Dubovsky to the point where he gave up. Then Tretyakov rushed to kiss and thank.
When the Wanderers walked behind Tretyakov’s coffin, Repin recalled, everyone was silent. There were no unnecessary words. Everyone was deeply aware that a faithful assistant had left them, giving them the opportunity to carry out work on art with his material support.
After the death of Pavel Mikhailovich, the commission of the Tretyakov Gallery, setting out to replenish the gallery with works characterizing new art movements, rarely acquired items from the Peredvizhniki.
Yakov Minchenkov “Memories of the Itinerants”
Of course, memories are not the most reliable source for getting an idea of a person, but they are supported by other information about the famous collector: Pavel Tretyakov bargained when buying paintings. In addition, Minchenkov retells this incident from the words of another person. In 1898, when Tretyakov passed away, Minchenkov had just graduated from college and had not yet become friends with the Wanderers.
